FR & WHR & WHHR News

Festiniog & Welsh Highland Railways Moving Pictures 123. CME Jon Whalley takes a look at the work going on in Boston Lodge Works.

 

I'm in Porthmadog as I write this and I'll be here until Friday next week. Will Kalahiri be running next week and does anyone know it's roster please

 

It is running on Friday during the event. 9:40 off Porthmadog, then it takes over the normal Gelert Explorer service at Waunfawr for the rest of the day. I expect it will work over to Porthmadog on Thursday but that roster isn't out yet.

 

Thanks for that most appreciated

 

Fr. 19.06 :
NG15 134 + set G (4x coaches + 4x wagons) :
C68 Mixed Porthmadog 09h40 – Beddgelert 10h19 with LYD + set U
C68 Mixed Beddgelert 10h45 – Caernarfon 12h15
W67 Mixed Caernarfon 12h35 – Waunfawr 13h05
C64 Mixed Waunfawr 13h20 – Dinas 13h35
C64 Mixed Dinas 13h38 – Caernarfon 13h50 with NG/G16
P65 Mixed Caernarfon 14h15 – Dinas 14h27 with NG/G16

Sa. 20.06 :
NG15 134 + CASTELL CAERNARFON + set E (10x pax + 3x wagons + NG-V) :
C04 LE Dinas 09h45 – Caernarfon 09h37 NG15 134
P97 Snowdonia Star Caernarfon 10h15 – Porthmadog 12h25
C92 Snowdonia Star Porthmadog 14h10 – Caernarfon 16h22
D09 ECS Caernarfon 16h50 – Dinas 17h05

Su. 21.06 :
NG15 134 + set E (10x coaches) :
C06 ECS Dinas 10h15 – Caernarfon 10h30
B95 Gelert Explorer Caernarfon 11h10 – Beddgelert 12h37
C92 Gelert Explorer Beddgelert 13h55 – Caernarfon 15h21
D07 ECS Caernarfon 15h50 – Dinas 16h05

 

Thank you!

 

Colwyn is currently on the cob heading towards Boston Lodge. Train is brake van and a single van

 

Quite amazed no one on here has posted about the Extreme Steam event. Just got back from 3 superb days riding both railways. Spent Friday getting some Kalahari mileage in, then in the evening enjoyed a round trip to Caernarfon behind a Fairlie, whilst enjoying folk music and whiskey tasting.
Saturday was spent on the FR, enjoying varying combinations of the smaller locos. The timetable completely collapsed owing to the amount of trains in the yard at Porthmadog, but nobody seemed to care given the much improved weather! Evening run to Blaenau this time with Lyd, superb engine which gave a tremendous demonstration of its power away from a stop at Ddaullt. Beautiful evening, the reservoir was like a mirror.
Yesterday I had some Garratt action and a little more Kalahari mileage - really is a fantastic machine.
Fantastic event, no idea now many locos and formations out, but a lot. Friendly staff, amazing scenery and must be the top narrow gauge event anywhere with 40 miles to play with. See you all next year, few phone shots below!

 

Video from across the three days of the event. A great variety of locomotives and rolling stock in use, the extensive use of the Quarry Hunslets being a highlight. The morning were great, a real shame that the afternoon timetables went awry with trains cancelled each afternoon (particularly disappointing on Sunday with the 4 shuttles to Minffordd, returning together as one mixed train, being cancelled and replaced by Brit and Hugh Napier double heading a short shuttle).

 

Big issue on the Saturday was the sheer number of trains in Porthmadog yard. 134 needed to access the water column before taking out the WHR train, but couldn't physically get there. Cue a big shunt to try and clear a route, but until that happened both platforms 1 and 2 were blocked meaning nothing could arrive. Perhaps an additional water tower is needed to serve WHR trains? I suspect this isn't a problem that occurs very often though!